High performance polymer electrolyte with improved thermal and chemical characteristics

Abstract

A novel monomer composition and a process of synthesizing the novel monomer is described. Generally, such novel monomers have an aliphatic spacer unit between two phenyl rings. In one embodiment the inventive monomer has a general structure of: wherein X and X′ independently include a functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, halogen, nitro, carboxylic acid, trimethylsiloxy and amines; G and G′ independently include one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, sulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide, and imidazole; “m” and “o” being integers and each independently having a value in the range from 0 to 15. The aliphatic spacer unit in alternative described embodiments of the inventive monomer does not contain the fluorinated methylene unit. Novel processes of synthesizing such monomers are also described. Based on these inventive monomer compositions, inventive polymer structures and processes of synthesizing them are also described.

1 . A polymer composition containing at least one repeat unit, said repeat unit, comprising:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein P and Q independently are functional groups selected from the group consisting of ethers, sulfides, sulfones, ketones, esters, amides, imides and carbon-carbon bonds;  
         m is an integer representing a number of methylene units and ranging between 0 and 15; and  
         o is an integer representing a number of fluorinated methylene units and ranging between 1 and 15.  
       
     
     
         2 . The polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer has a general structure of:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein a is between about 0.1% and about 100% molar percent,  
         b, c, and d independently are between about 0 and about 50% molar percent,  
         U, V and W independently are functional groups selected from the group consisting of sulfones, ketones, carbon-carbon bonds, branched carbon based structures, alkenes, alkynes, amides, and imides.  
       
     
     
         3 . The polymer composition of  claim 2 , wherein said polymer has a structure of:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . The polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer has a general structure of:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein a is between about 0.1% and about 100% molar percent,  
         b, c, and d independently are between about 0 and about 50% molar percent,  
         U, V and W independently are functional groups selected from the group consisting of sulfones, ketones, carbon-carbon bonds, branched carbon based structures, alkenes, alkynes, amides, and imides.  
       
     
     
         5 . The polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer has a general structure of  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . The polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein if integer “o” equals zero, then integer “m” can equal any one of 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.  
     
     
         7 . The polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said repeat unit includes G and G′, wherein said G attaches to an aromatic ring associated with said P and said G′ attached to an aromatic ring associated with said Q.  
     
     
         8 . The polymer composition of  claim 7 , wherein said G and G′ independently include one member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, sulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide and imidazole.  
     
     
         9 . The polymer composition of  claim 7 , wherein said G and G′ include fluorinated or nonfluorinated aliphatic chains containing one member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, sulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide and imidazole.